The process began with a phone call from an external recruiter. She was pleasant and made me feel at ease. The next stage was a one-on-one session with the same recruiter; this part of the process was similarly relaxed. I then got through to the assessment centre, where I met some of the wider Headland team. The questions asked at this stage were certainly more challenging, and I had to think on my feet for sure, but at no point was I made to feel uncomfortable. In a way it was the right balance between being grilled and being made to feel welcome. Although I left afterwards feeling like I had worked hard that day, that is pretty much inevitable during an interview, though. One thing I remember was thinking was how the length of the day was exactly right – it lasted from around 9am to 2pm. There was enough time to get stuck in, but I didn’t start feeling tired or as though I couldn’t concentrate. As well as the one-to-one interview, I also presented a Powerpoint to a group of staff members. The questions that came after this presentation were again challenging, but I felt like I could answer them and didn’t feel like anyone was trying to catch me out. In addition to these, I sat a writing task and participated in a group exercise. Lunch was provided on the day; during the lunch period we mixed with members of the Headland team.

Initially there was a telephone interview. This was then followed by an in-person interview which was about gaining an understanding of you as a person. Finally there was an in-person assessment centre with around 30 other people.